If you are planning to become the owner of a cat, dog, or any other pet, you may be thinking about various issues to do with your floors and how they will cope.
Some of these might be about dealing with little accidents when they are young and still being house trained, which may be about placing down temporary mats if the kitten misses its litter tray or having lots of carpet cleaner. But you can also think long-term about the kind of surfaces that will be best for your home if you have a furry friend in it.
Of course, it is impractical to change every surface in the home, not least as different rooms have their own requirements for the humans living in them, from extra comfort for the bedroom to water-resistant practicality in the bathroom and kitchen. Even so, there is much you can do to make things better underfoot (or underpaw) for your pets.
Dog-Friendly Surfaces
Vinyl plank flooring is one of several surfaces that can be very dog-friendly. However, this should be high-quality vinyl as this is very scratch-resistant and also water-resistant, which is handy for any accidents as well as bathing your dog (or kids!) It also has the benefit of being an attractive and durable surface, so it is useful for all-round purposes in the home.
There are several other good options for dogs. If you are concerned about your pet having a few accidents, high-quality laminate can be useful, being not too absorbent. This means it is easy to clean up spills on without nasty odours being left behind, although it is not completely waterproof.
Tile flooring, made from stone or porcelain, is very hard-wearing, scratch-resistant and waterproof. However, it has its limitations because it is cold and won’t take the place of warmer hard surfaces like wood or laminate, let alone soft surfaces like carpet. The same goes for hard concrete.
Engineered hardwood floors are also hard to scratch, as is epoxy resin, although the latter, which is also very waterproof, is very costly and the former quite costly. Vinyl plank is certainly a lot cheaper if you are on a budget.
Cats And Their Claws
Scratches may be an issue with dogs, but the situation is subtly different with cats. As every owner of a feline knows, their habit of climbing on things means they will reach all sorts of places and scratch items not by having big, extended abrasive claws, but with their small but super-sharp hooked claws.
Cats love to keep their claws in shape, although it is furniture that usually cops it, to the dismay of many owners who will buy a scratching post but find it is ignored in favour of wrecking the sofa or shredding any wickerwork furniture.
However, floors will not get off scot-free. Cats will often scratch carpets, which leaves you with a few options to deal with the problem.
You can do some things to stop a cat from scratching the carpet, such as covering the carpet with other materials, using special deterrent sprays, clipping its nails, or offering alternatives – although, once again, a scratching post is often frustratingly ignored.
Some carpets are, however, very good for pets, but with caveats. A Berber carpet, for instance, is lovely and soft and lots of cats and dogs love that. However, a cat that loves scratching carpets may get its claws stuck in the loops, so it can depend on the animal’s habits.
Other Hard Surface Considerations
Quite apart from that, any furry friend that moults a lot could leave plenty on the carpet. Hard surfaces can be a lot more practical for sweeping or vacuuming it all up.
Some harder floors, such as hardwood, can be damaged by cats, especially if they scratch the floor a lot and have a lot of accidents. This means they might not be ideal for a kitten who has yet to gain the right habits (including using their litter tray).
However, this is where the same hard floors that can be useful for dogs, such as scratch-resistant vinyl plank, may come in very useful.
You may keep other pets indoors as well, such as a rabbit or (during hibernation season, at least) a tortoise. Rabbits are not easy to house-train and have sharp claws, so keeping them in an area with a vinyl floor is a smart move.
Keeping pets is one of life’s great joys. But it is less fun if your floor is damaged or left smelling bad because of them. For that reason, it is important to think very practically when choosing floors, ensuring you can have fun with your furry friends without too many negative consequences.
Browse vinyl tiles and planks on the CVT Direct website. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch with the CVT Direct team via our Contact Us page or give us a ring on 0345 121 1234.
